Intertwined: From Insects to Icebergs

by Michael Gross

Overview

A compelling call to action to focus on what connects us in nature to solve today's problems.

In nature, everything is connected: from microscopic bacteria and soaring trees to animals struggling for survival amid thriving humanity. Yet many of today's toughest problems, from environmental destruction to divisive politics, stem from fundamental disconnections. In Intertwined, science writer Michael Gross explains how the natural world can be a powerful reminder of our interdependence.

Using examples based on recent scientific discoveries across a broad range of ecosystems and species, Gross shares important—and often surprising—stories about the sophisticated web of connections in nature. From plant cooperation to turtle communication, he highlights crucial lessons we can apply to solve complex problems caused by human disturbances to these connections. Gross provides ample evidence of the far-reaching impacts of both natural and anthropogenic phenomena, from coevolution and nutrient cycles to species domestication and extinction.

We live in a complex world endangered by simplistic thinking, as the escalating climate crisis and loss of biodiversity demonstrate. To address these issues, we must recognize the wonder and ubiquity of the self-regulating network that enables life on Earth. These thought-provoking stories from nature illustrate why it is so vital to respect and protect the connections that tie us to our world and each other.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781421449975
Publisher:	Johns Hopkins University Press
Publication date:	10/15/2024
Pages:	424
Sales rank:	691,388
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.34(d)

About the Author

Michael Gross (OXFORD, UK) is a science writer who has published in Current Biology and other publications. He is the coauthor of Astrobiology: A Brief Introduction and the translator and editor of Lust and Love: Is It More than Chemistry?

Table of Contents

Introduction: Everything Is Connected
1. Plants and Their Little Helpers
2. Fantastic Animals
3. Insects Rule the World
4. Looking After Our Forests
5. This Time, the Asteroid Is Us
6. Save Our Seas
7. Living with Animals
8. Listen to Nature
9. Animals Shaping the Environment
10. Life in the Times of Climate Change
11. Our Shared Burden of Disease
12. The Anthropocene and Beyond
Notes

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

Even for a professional ecologist like me, Intertwined is a revelation—a compelling look at the myriad connections that link wild species on our planet and affect their vulnerability to the ravages of environmental disruption. I found the book fun, endlessly insightful, and chock-full of surprises.
—William F. Laurance, James Cook University

Intertwined ranges widely across life's landscape, illuminating the infinite complexities of form and function that can be found among living organisms. In highlighting how Earth's fabric of life is being diminished by myriad, amplifying human impacts—and, crucially, how we might reduce these impacts—it sends an important message to us all.
—Jan A. Zalasiewicz, coauthor of The Cosmic Oasis

An entertaining and easy-to-read foray into the interconnectedness of life on earth, from bacteria to behemoths.
—Brooke Flammang, New Jersey Institute of Technology

This captivating synthesis of some of the most exciting recent findings in science illustrates the complexity and interconnectedness of life and its interactions with the environment, while simultaneously articulating the roles we have and continue to play in shaping the trajectory of life on Earth.
—Matthew Nelsen, Field Museum of Natural History

Editorial Reviews

Nestled near the middle of Intertwined is the cleverly and chillingly titled chapter, "This Time, the Asteroid Is Us," which warns that the next mass extinction event on Earth will likely be of our own doing. Science writer Gross elucidates how human activity is increasingly disruptive and destructive to the planet's biosphere, in which ecosystems are extensively connected.
—Booklist

From the Publisher